I am refurbishing the teak and holly sole of our Tayana 47 and have run into an interesting development. I have used the same techniques (sand to bare wood, apply coatings) and find that different boards have a different tone...some darker than others. I have made sure my technicque is the same for each one and am baffled. The original color is a nice blond teak with the results I am getting are darker. I've talked with the manufacturer and they've indicated that differences in wood can cause this. My question, is there any product that I can put on on the first coat that will not absorb into the grain and therefore maintain the light color. Advice is appreciated.

True varnish is dark, new polyurethanes stay allot more clear when applied. You may have to bleach the teak to get it lighter otherwise. Oil = dark with age and teak is full of oil.

ElTib,

Denise is right -- you may need to bleach the teak to get a uniform color from board to board. I've found two-part bleach to be a much easier product to use than oxalic acid crystals dissolved in water. If you only need a single acid wash, you won't need to rinse/neutralize the acid before the final scuff sanding and finish application.

Are you sure you have not sanded through the teak and are seeing the underlying substrate? Teak veneer is usually very thin.

Trielley,

One thing that many Taiwanese boats share is an abundance of teak -- both a blessing and a curse. Most cabin soles of these babies are about 3/8" teak/holly (or another light wood) glued over top of 5/8" plywood.

That's assuming that the assuming original sole hasn't been removed/replaced at some point along the way.

One thing that many Taiwanese boats share is an abundance of teak -- both a blessing and a curse. Most cabin soles of these babies are about 3/8" teak/holly (or another light wood) glued over top of 5/8" plywood.

That's assuming that the assuming original sole hasn't been removed/replaced at some point along the way.

Having built & finished teak furniture as well as having refinished the interior of Victoria, I have some experience here. Many planks of a specie vary wildly in color and grain. Graining will also affect final finish color, too.

Assuming that you did not sand through to the substrate and are dealing with only teak and holly, I'll say that unfinished teak is generally light in color. When a finish is applied, it then darkens the degree of which varies according to the type of finish applied. True varnish will darken the most because of the oils. Urethanes (virtually bullet proof) darken less, but add a nice warm glow, IMO.

Wipe a section of teak with plain water. This is the best that you can do without bleaching. IMO, bleaching is not an option (for me) because it casts a really weird silver or white tint to the wood. I'd rather paint it than abuse the poor piece of wood.

A foolproof way of limiting the toning of any wood is to isolate it from the finish. Apply 2 or more coats Zinsser's Shellac Sealer followed by water-based Urethane. NOTE that I do NOT recommend this course of action. It will work, but aesthetically (again, to me), the warm glow imparted by a oil-based finish is comforting. While a water-based urethane will not darken a wood after it dries, it is notoriously difficult to flow-out properly. Most woodworkers stay away from water-based finishes for this reason.

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